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...all about footballMon, 21 May 2018 21:41:13 +0000en-GBhourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.6Alvaro Morata misses out in Spain’s squad for World Cup.http://www.sportzkick.com/alvaro-morata-misses-out-in-spains-squad-for-world-cup/
http://www.sportzkick.com/alvaro-morata-misses-out-in-spains-squad-for-world-cup/#respondMon, 21 May 2018 21:41:13 +0000http://www.sportzkick.com/?p=3887Álvaro Morata has paid the price for an indifferent season at Chelsea after being left out of Spain’s 23-man World Cup squad. The striker has become a peripheral figure at Chelsea since the January arrival of Olivier Giroud and will not be involved in Russia after the Spain coach Julen Lopetegui went with Diego Costa,

]]>Álvaro Morata has paid the price for an indifferent season at Chelsea after being left out of Spain’s 23-man World Cup squad.

The striker has become a peripheral figure at Chelsea since the January arrival of Olivier Giroud and will not be involved in Russia after the Spain coach Julen Lopetegui went with Diego Costa, Iago Aspas and Rodrigo as his strikers.

“It’s always a difficult decision,” Lopetegui said. “There wasn’t anything negative about [Morata]. But we thought there were other players in the position who could help us.”

“Best of luck in the World Cup,” Morata wrote on Twitter. “I’ll be supporting and cheering through the end, as always.”

Instead of picking a fourth striker, Lopetegui opted to take eight defenders, including Arsenal’s Nacho Monreal, the only other surprise on the list. Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso and Marc Bartra were among the defenders left out.

The squad features six players from Real Madrid and four from Barcelona. The Madrid players will report to the team’s training camp later than the other players because of their Champions League final commitments against Liverpool.

Meanwhile, England’s Group G opponents Belgium have picked Christian Benteke despite his lack of goals for Crystal Palace in their preliminary 28-man squad. The striker, who scored just three times in the Premier League last season, got the nod from Roberto Martínez while Liverpool’s Divock Origi misses out.

The Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan reacted to missing out of the squad by announcing his international retirement.

In a message on Instagram, he wrote: “Very reluctantly my international career comes to an end…I’ve always done everything I could to represent my country Being yourself can be bothering …From this day on I will be the first fan…”

Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku and Kevin De Bruyne were all included but there was also no place in Martínez’s squad for Everton’s Kevin Mirallas.

]]>http://www.sportzkick.com/alvaro-morata-misses-out-in-spains-squad-for-world-cup/feed/0Unai Emery in prime position to be Arsenal’s next manager.http://www.sportzkick.com/unai-emery-in-prime-position-to-be-arsenals-next-manager/
http://www.sportzkick.com/unai-emery-in-prime-position-to-be-arsenals-next-manager/#respondMon, 21 May 2018 21:25:51 +0000http://www.sportzkick.com/?p=3884Arsenal have moved to appoint Unai Emery as the successor to Arsène Wenger. The club have conducted a thorough process as they look to replace Wenger – their manager of almost 22 years – who departed at the end of this past season and Mikel Arteta had been considered as the favourite for the past

]]>Arsenal have moved to appoint Unai Emery as the successor to Arsène Wenger.

The club have conducted a thorough process as they look to replace Wenger – their manager of almost 22 years – who departed at the end of this past season and Mikel Arteta had been considered as the favourite for the past week or so. But the signs on Monday were that Emery, the former Paris St-Germain and Sevilla manager, to whom the club have also spoken, was set to be chosen. The decision is expected to be confirmed later in the week.

Emery is a safer bet in terms of his experience and, in the end, it is this factor that has swayed the decision of Ivan Gazidis, the Arsenal chief exective, who has led the recruitment drive. Arteta, the former Arsenal player, who is now a member of Pep Guardiola’s coaching staff at Manchester City, has not yet managed a club whereas Emery has been in the business since 2005, when he cut his teeth at Lorca Deportivo in his native Spain.

The 46-year-old has gone on to take charge at Almeria, Valencia, Spartak Moscow, Sevilla and, most recently, PSG – clubs of mounting profile – and he has impressed Gazidis, even though he is not fluent in English.

Emery is happy to work within the management structure that Gazidis has put in place at the Emirates Stadium –in which there are prominent recruitment roles for Raúl Sanllehí and Sven Mislintat. He enjoyed eye-catching success at Sevilla, where he won three consecutive Europa Leagues, and he would go on to win the championship at PSG in this past season, although his relative failure in the Champions League in the shape of a last-16 exit against Real Madrid cost him his job. He has been replaced by Thomas Tuchel – the one-time Arsenal target.

Arteta had a meeting with the Arsenal hierarchy last week and he was confident that he would get the job. Guardiola had said he would not stand in Arteta’s way and talks had progressed to the point where the potential make-up of his backroom staff had been discussed.

Arteta ticked plenty of boxes for Gazidis, who was looking for somebody to represent the club’s values, including giving youth a chance, and play fast and attractive football.

Gazidis had made it clear he was not afraid to make a left-field appointment, noting on the day that Wenger’s departure was confirmed that the Frenchman had not been “on many people’s radar screens” in 1996.

But Emery, too, ticked the boxes and, crucially, he came to look like less of a gamble. It is understood that Arteta was told his lack of of experience came to count against him. Gazidis is not a man that is synonymous with risk-taking. After careful consideration, analysing each argument from every conceivable angle, he has come to see Emery as the outstanding selection.

Arsenal’s manager is expected to have around £50m, plus sales, to spend on reshaping the squad, which is broadly in line with what Wenger was granted, annually, in recent seasons. It is not a lavish budget and it is clear that the new man’s coaching skills will have to be on point from the outset.

Santi Cazorla, the Arsenal midfielder, had been linked with a possible player-coach role under Arteta but he has now left the club upon the expiry of his contract. He has not played since he injured his achilles in October 2016, although he remains determined to carry on as a player.

Gazidis said: “Santi is always one of my favourite players to watch.. His natural ability with both feet, his speed of thought and movement were central to our best performances in recent years. He plays with a joy and freedom which is very rare. We wish him well for the future and thank him for his important contribution to our club.”

]]>http://www.sportzkick.com/unai-emery-in-prime-position-to-be-arsenals-next-manager/feed/0Santi Carzola on the verge of Villareal return.http://www.sportzkick.com/santi-carzola-on-the-verge-of-villareal-return/
http://www.sportzkick.com/santi-carzola-on-the-verge-of-villareal-return/#respondSun, 20 May 2018 12:26:45 +0000http://www.sportzkick.com/?p=3880Santi Cazorla will leave Arsenal this summer to re-join his first club Villarreal, according to a reporter stood next to the Spanish club’s ambassador. Marcos Senna stood and smiled while reporter Mónica Marchante said on La Casa del Futbol: “It is all-but-official that, although it has not all been completely confirmed by the club, Santi

]]>Santi Cazorla will leave Arsenal this summer to re-join his first club Villarreal, according to a reporter stood next to the Spanish club’s ambassador.

Marcos Senna stood and smiled while reporter Mónica Marchante said on La Casa del Futbol: “It is all-but-official that, although it has not all been completely confirmed by the club, Santi Cazorla will spend pre-season next season – well, this July as we are already there – with Villarreal.”

Marchante later clarified the situation in a tweet, saying that “advanced negotiations” had taken place but that nothing was official.

Cazorla began his career with the Yellow Submarines and it seems he might end it there too, with Arsenal understandably reluctant to give a new contract to a man who has not played since October 2016.

Recent reports suggested that Cazorla could join Mikel Arteta on the Arsenal coaching staff but it seems that Cazorla may instead choose to reprise his career at Villarreal.

]]>http://www.sportzkick.com/santi-carzola-on-the-verge-of-villareal-return/feed/0Chelsea 1-0 Manchester United. Eden Hazard’s penalty give Conte a fond farewell in a dull game.http://www.sportzkick.com/chelsea-1-0-manchester-united-eden-hazards-penalty-give-conte-a-fond-farewell-in-a-dull-game/
http://www.sportzkick.com/chelsea-1-0-manchester-united-eden-hazards-penalty-give-conte-a-fond-farewell-in-a-dull-game/#respondSat, 19 May 2018 23:25:20 +0000http://www.sportzkick.com/?p=3877If this turns out to be Antonio Conte’s final game as Chelsea manager – and who could really be surprised if they do part ways? – at least he has gone out on a high. For all the problems, the unending politics and the clear impression of a manager who knows his time is up,

]]>If this turns out to be Antonio Conte’s final game as Chelsea manager – and who could really be surprised if they do part ways? – at least he has gone out on a high. For all the problems, the unending politics and the clear impression of a manager who knows his time is up, another trophy has been added to the collection. Last year, the Premier League, this season, the FA Cup; only at Chelsea, perhaps, could a manager with that return now be cut loose.

It is an eccentric twist bearing in mind Chelsea have just won the eighth FA Cup of their history, moving joint third with Tottenham on the all-time list. But this can be an unorthodox club, and who can possibly say the boom-and-bust policy does not work when Chelsea, on Roman Abramovich’s watch, have accumulated so much silverware? This was the 15th trophy of the Abramovich era – and that is not even using the José Mourinho tactic of counting Community Shields.

The Portuguese, in fairness, managed to get through a galling day for Manchester United without feeling it necessary to aim any gratuitous digs at his former club. Well, apart from saying it was undeserved and describing Chelsea’s tactics as “predictable”, namely by aiming the ball up to Olivier Giroud and hoping Eden Hazard could sprinkle some magic on the occasion.

Predictable but effective would have been a better way of putting it and unfortunately for Mourinho his own team had nobody to menace Chelsea in the way Hazard did Phil Jones and the rest of United’s defence. Jones, in particular, looked dizzied by the experience and Hazard, with the decisive first-half penalty, chose a good day to put in one of his more illuminating performances of the past year.

The same goes for Antonio Rüdiger as Chelsea defended with the stoutness that was reminiscent of Conte’s title-winning season. Gary Cahill has rediscovered his best form and, on this evidence, Chelsea’s captain might have overtaken Jones in the pecking order to start for England in the World Cup. Jones is too prone to these kind of accident-laden performances. He finished the game with a bandaged head and a sore hamstring but nothing will hurt as much as watching back the key moments, in the 21st minute, when Chelsea put themselves in a position of strength.

Jones’s first mistake was to back off as Cesc Fàbregas curled the ball into Hazard’s feet. The Belgian came forward, trying to make space for himself. His first touch left Jones stranded and United were vulnerable as soon as Hazard started picking up speed, running inside his marker before shaping to shoot inside the penalty area.

Conte was enraged that Jones avoided a red card for the flailing, desperate challenge that brought down Hazard. It was a clear penalty and the referee, Michael Oliver, was surrounded by Chelsea players wanting to know why Jones had not been sent off.

Conte still looked incensed even after Hazard had expertly rolled the penalty past David de Gea but it was the correct decision if the referee thought Jones had made a legitimate attempt to play the ball. In that case, the regulations state referees ought to show a yellow card, regardless of whether it denies a goalscoring opportunity.

After that, Chelsea had to withstand some concerted pressure, especially in the second half, when Conte’s side started to defend more deeply. A linesman’s flag denied Alexis Sánchez a close-range equaliser and Thibaut Courtois had a fine game. It would be an exaggeration, however, to depict United’s second-half improvement as a full-blown assault.

The width was generally provided by United’s full-backs, Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia. Otherwise, it was a six-out-of-10 performance from the more advanced players and in the closing minutes, when an onslaught might have been expected, Chelsea were largely untroubled.

Romelu Lukaku could not make any difference when he replaced Marcus Rashford in the 73rd minute and Mourinho, reflecting on a season without silverware, seemed keen afterwards to clarify that United’s leading scorer had gone to him, rather than the other way round, to say he did not feel ready to start.

Rashford flickered only occasionally and it was a laboured performance from Sánchez, as it often has been since his defection from Arsenal. Hazard, on the other hand, always shimmered with menace when Chelsea looked to spring their opponents on the break.

The disappointment was the lack of refinement from the two teams that finished second and fifth in the Premier League, featuring some of the more celebrated players in English football’s top division. The game hotted up in the final half an hour but, Hazard apart, it lacked any real sophistication and always had the feel of a papering‑over‑the‑cracks final. United finished 19 points behind Manchester City in the league, with Chelsea 30 adrift of the top, and nobody could have left Wembley thinking that the gulf felt like a deception.

Ultimately, though, it finished with Hazard swigging from a bottle of champagne, a blizzard of ticker tape fluttering at the Chelsea end and Blue is the Colour being pumped out as the trophy was passed down the line of victorious players. Afterwards, there were all the usual questions for Conte about whether he will be leaving. If he does, there is one clear certainty – they cannot allow Hazard to follow.

]]>http://www.sportzkick.com/chelsea-1-0-manchester-united-eden-hazards-penalty-give-conte-a-fond-farewell-in-a-dull-game/feed/0Jack Wilshere and Joe Hart react to their shock omission from the England squad.http://www.sportzkick.com/jack-wilshere-and-joe-hart-react-to-their-shock-omission-from-the-england-squad/
http://www.sportzkick.com/jack-wilshere-and-joe-hart-react-to-their-shock-omission-from-the-england-squad/#respondSat, 19 May 2018 23:13:38 +0000http://www.sportzkick.com/?p=3874Jack Wilshere and Joe Hart have both spoken out on their disappointment at being omitted from Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the World Cup. Hart, who has 75 international caps, and Wilshere, who has 34, both failed to make the 23-man party announced on Wednesday – and were also absent from the standby list. “Think

]]>Jack Wilshere and Joe Hart have both spoken out on their disappointment at being omitted from Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the World Cup.

Hart, who has 75 international caps, and Wilshere, who has 34, both failed to make the 23-man party announced on Wednesday – and were also absent from the standby list.

“Think its about time I had my say,” Wilshere posted on his personal Twitter account. “It goes without saying that I’m naturally incredibly disappointed to have been left out of the England squad for the World Cup.”

“I’ve felt fit, sharp and strong all season and believe I should be in the squad! And given the chance I could have made a real impact,” the Arsenal midfielder added.

“However, I have to respect the manager’s decision and would like to wish the whole squad all the very best for the tournament. I will always be an England fan and will be supporting the boys with the rest of the nation.”

Wilshere, who last played for England in the loss to Iceland at Euro 2016, at least saw the funny side when one tweeter invited him to Zante on holiday instead. “Let me know the dates and I’m in,” he replied.

Hart spoke out in an Instagram post on Friday morning. Underneath a picture of the England crest, he wrote: “Not going to lie, I’m gutted. After two years of trying to make the most of a really tough situation, this is hard to take.”

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“I’m proud to have put in the graft and play every minute to qualify with the team and have a really important input in that outcome,” Hart added. The goalkeeper was picked for England’s first nine qualifiers, with Jack Butland starting against Lithuania after their place in Russia was assured.

“I know what I bring to the team, but it is what it is. Good luck to the team out there, the players know that even though I won’t be there, I will have my England shirt on as a fan this time and supporting all the way. No fear, go and smash it.”

Hart, who has struggled for form in loan spells at Torino and West Ham, missed out to Jordan Pickford, Jack Butland and Nick Pope – with Pope’s Burnley colleague Tom Heaton on the standby list.

Wilshere, who made only 12 Premier League starts with Arsenal this season, was overlooked for a central midfield berth with Southgate selecting Fabian Delph, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Jordan Henderson and Eric Dier.

The England manager explained both decisions during his press conference on Thursday, and said that leaving out Hart was “a difficult call”.

“In Joe’s case, he’s been England No 1 with 75 caps. I don’t think it would be respectful to say to him, ‘would you go on standby?’” Southgate said.

“We either put him in the squad, or we think of what he’s done up to this point and hope that he resolves his club situation this summer and that he’s back contending for the No 1 shirt, not the No 3. That I think was the right thing to do.”

]]>http://www.sportzkick.com/jack-wilshere-and-joe-hart-react-to-their-shock-omission-from-the-england-squad/feed/0Sir Alex Ferguson in intensive care after successful brain surgery.http://www.sportzkick.com/sir-alex-ferguson-in-intensive-care-after-successful-brain-surgery/
http://www.sportzkick.com/sir-alex-ferguson-in-intensive-care-after-successful-brain-surgery/#respondSun, 06 May 2018 04:30:53 +0000http://www.sportzkick.com/?p=3862Sir Alex Ferguson was in a serious condition in hospital on Saturday night after suffering a brain haemorrhage. The former Manchester United manager underwent emergency surgery on Saturday for a bleed on the brain. This was said to have been successful and his family were at his bedside as he began his recovery. United, the

]]>Sir Alex Ferguson was in a serious condition in hospital on Saturday night after suffering a brain haemorrhage. The former Manchester United manager underwent emergency surgery on Saturday for a bleed on the brain. This was said to have been successful and his family were at his bedside as he began his recovery.

United, the club he managed for almost 27 years until retiring in 2013, issued a statement that read: “Sir Alex Ferguson has undergone emergency surgery today for a brain haemorrhage. The procedure has gone very well but he needs a period of intensive care to optimise his recovery. His family request privacy in this matter.”

The 76-year-old was first taken by ambulance from his home in Wilmslow, Cheshire, to Macclesfield district hospital at 9am. He was subsequently transferred, with a police escort, to Salford Royal hospital, where he was being treated last night in the Hope building.

Speculation grew that Ferguson was unwell when his son Darren, the Doncaster Rovers manager, missed his side’s final game of the League One season against Wigan. A club statement read: “Rovers manager Darren Ferguson will not be at Saturday’s game due to family reasons.” The assistant manager, Gavin Strachan, took charge of the game and Doncaster were beaten 1-0 as Wigan were confirmed League One champions. Afterwards the club said: “Darren asks for privacy and will provide an update through the club during the week.”

Ferguson is famously private and has been married to Cathy since 1966. Together they have three sons: Mark, Darren and Jason, who runs an events management company and used to be a football agent.

Ferguson led a ceremony celebrating the opening of the £200m Hope building where he was being treated on Saturday night in 2010. He placed a tile on the facade of the structure to mark the event. At the time he said: “The new hospital development will no doubt enhance the great work that the team at Salford Royal already deliver to patients in Greater Manchester.”

In 2011 he attended an event at Salford Royal where his friend the artist Harold Riley unveiled his latest exhibition. Portraits, including one of the former Manchester United manager, were displayed inside a wing of the Hope hospital.

It is not the first time Ferguson has been treated in hospital for a serious health condition. In 2003 he underwent cardioversion electric shock treatment for a heart irregularity.

United players past and present took to social media to express their shock about Saturday’s news and offer their best wishes. Michael Carrick, the captain, tweeted: “Absolutely devastated to hear about Sir Alex being unwell in hospital. All my thoughts and prayers are with him and his family. Be strong Boss.”

David Beckham, who came through at United under Ferguson, wrote on Instagram: “Keep fighting Boss. Sending prayers and love to Cathy and the whole family.”

Edwin van der Sar played under Ferguson for six years and was granted leave by the manager in 2009 when his wife suffered a brain haemorrhage. The former Netherlands goalkeeper tweeted his support. “Devastated about the news about Sir Alex and knowing all too well about the situation ourselves,” he wrote. “Stay strong and hope together with everyone that you recover. Edwin and Annemarie.”

In a statement the League Managers Association chairman, Howard Wilkinson, said: “I was extremely sorry to hear the news about Sir Alex this evening. I, together with the whole fraternity of football managers in the LMA, wish him well and hope for a speedy recovery from his surgery. All our thoughts are with Lady Cathy and the rest of Sir Alex’s family at this difficult time.”

The Premier League tweeted: “The thoughts of everyone at the Premier League are with Sir Alex Ferguson and his family.”

Ferguson’s reach across sport is so great that even America’s NBA offered their sympathy and support.

He is the most successful manager in British football history, winning 38 titles, including 13 Premier League trophies, at United. The Scot joined the club in 1986 after a 12-year spell managing clubs in his home country, most notably Aberdeen, from whom he moved to United. While at Pittodrie he won the Scottish title three times, the Scottish Cup four times and in 1983 the European Cup Winner’s Cup, beating Real Madrid in the final. Before that he had a successful playing career, notably for Dunfermline and Rangers.

As United’s longest serving manager he won two European Cups – famously against Bayern Munich as part of the treble in 1999, then against Chelsea in 2008 – and five FA Cups in addition to the Premier League title victories.

He was at Old Trafford last Sunday to present Arsène Wenger with a commemorative trophy after the announcement that the Frenchman was leaving Arsenal after 22 years. The two had a bitter rivalry when both were managing at the top level but any ill feeling between the pair now appears to have dissipated as demonstrated by their warm embrace on the pitch.

]]>http://www.sportzkick.com/sir-alex-ferguson-in-intensive-care-after-successful-brain-surgery/feed/0Diego Simeone will miss Europa League final.http://www.sportzkick.com/diego-simeone-will-miss-europa-league-final/
http://www.sportzkick.com/diego-simeone-will-miss-europa-league-final/#respondFri, 04 May 2018 21:31:04 +0000http://www.sportzkick.com/?p=3859Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has received a four-match Uefa ban and will be absent from the touchline when his side face Marseille in the Europa League final on 16 May. Simeone was found guilty of insulting a match official during the first leg of Atletico’s semi-final at Arsenal. The 48-year-old was sent to the

]]>Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has received a four-match Uefa ban and will be absent from the touchline when his side face Marseille in the Europa League final on 16 May.

Simeone was found guilty of insulting a match official during the first leg of Atletico’s semi-final at Arsenal.

The 48-year-old was sent to the stands after Sime Vrsaljko’s early red card.

He served the first match of his suspension as Atletico completed a 2-1 aggregate win on Thursday.

It is not the first time that the Argentine, who was also fined 10,000 euros (£8,800), has been in trouble.

In 2014, he was banned by the Spanish Football Federation for eight matches for his behaviour in the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup.

He got a four-game punishment for tapping the fourth official on the back of the head after a heated exchange during Atletico’s 2-1 aggregate win over Real Madrid, and a further sanction for protesting, applauding a red card and not leaving the field.

In 2016, he was given a touchline ban for the final three La Liga games of the season after appearing to instruct a ball boy to throw a ball on to the pitch to disrupt a Malaga attack during an Atletico victory.

Uefa’s control, ethics and disciplinary board also fined the club 10,000 euros after fans threw objects on the pitch at Emirates Stadium.

]]>http://www.sportzkick.com/diego-simeone-will-miss-europa-league-final/feed/0Man City 1-2 Liverpool. Man City lose three games in a row as Salah and co see The Blues out of the CL.http://www.sportzkick.com/man-city-1-2-liverpool-man-city-lose-three-games-in-a-row-as-salah-and-co-see-the-blues-out-of-the-cl/
http://www.sportzkick.com/man-city-1-2-liverpool-man-city-lose-three-games-in-a-row-as-salah-and-co-see-the-blues-out-of-the-cl/#respondTue, 10 Apr 2018 23:13:21 +0000http://www.sportzkick.com/?p=3855In the away end, there were songs about winning the European Cup and, this being Liverpool, thousands of euphoric voices joining in with the follow-up shout of “again”. And why not? Liverpool had survived a whirlwind, to use Jürgen Klopp’s description, and at the end of this epic tussle it was a sunrise of a

]]>In the away end, there were songs about winning the European Cup and, this being Liverpool, thousands of euphoric voices joining in with the follow-up shout of “again”. And why not? Liverpool had survived a whirlwind, to use Jürgen Klopp’s description, and at the end of this epic tussle it was a sunrise of a smile on the German’s face. His team were in the semi-finals and Manchester City, once again, had been cut adrift from a competition where they repeatedly fall short.

Pep Guardiola’s team will have to make do with the Premier League title whereas Liverpool will go into Friday’s draw because over the two legs they were more clinical during their spells of superiority. Klopp’s team had the better balance between attack and defence and, crucially, they got lucky with the disallowed goal that brought Pep Guardiola to the point of spontaneous combustion at half-time. Guardiola’s fit of pique led to his banishment from the dugout and City will wonder what might have happened if they had taken a 2-0 lead into the second half.

Instead, City have lost three games in six days, conceding eight goals in the process, and Klopp has been proven correct with his assertion that the best way to take on the Premier League champions-elect is to examine an accident-prone defence. Nicolás Otamendi’s part in Roberto Firmino’s goal was the case in point and, once that had gone in, the two sets of players were going through the motions for the rest of the match. City needed five goals, or roughly one every three minutes, to save themselves and, realistically, the game had in effect been settled once Mohamed Salah clipped in Liverpool’s equaliser earlier in the second half.

Might it have been any different if Leroy Sané’s goal, late in the first half, had not been wrongly given offside? Nobody will ever know but it was certainly true that City were threatening a remarkable feat of escapology in that part of the match. They had scored inside two minutes, courtesy of Gabriel Jesus. They still had Sergio Agüero to bring off the bench and the Etihad was overdosing on optimism. For the game to finish with an aggregate 5-1 score distorts the fact the occasion was full of drama and suspense until Salah’s goal dramatically changed the complexion of the evening.

Ultimately, though, Liverpool had inflicted a grievous result in the first leg when they scored three times in a 19-minute blitz and, importantly, did not concede an away goal. Guardiola’s team gave everything. They chased every ball, attacked from every angle and, for a long time, the early goal encouraged the sense there were more to follow. It would be exaggerating to say Liverpool were on their knees but they did need to catch their breath and City were merciless in that respect. If the ball was out of play, someone in blue would dash to get it back. This was not a side licking its wounds from the humbling of Anfield or Saturday’s ordeal against Manchester United. It was the best team in England with adrenaline running through their veins, playing like they believed anything was achievable.

In the first half, anyway. Liverpool were much more composed after the break and Guardiola was always taking a calculated gamble fielding an experimental three-man central defence, including two players, Kyle Walker and Aymeric Laporte, who doubled up as attacking full-backs. Otamendi’s selection ahead of Vincent Kompany was difficult to fathom and, apart from Fernandinho, City’s line-up was otherwise filled with attacking players.

Nobody can ever question Guardiola’s sense of adventure, but the potential for danger was obvious when Liverpool have such a brilliantly effective counter-attacking side.

Sure enough, the killer moment arrived in the 56th minute. Salah’s through ball gave Sadio Mané, Liverpool’s outstanding player, the initial chance and for a split-second it seemed as though Fernandinho might concede a penalty. Salah did not wait to find out. He was on the ball in a flash, swerving to the left of City’s goalkeeper, Ederson, before shaping his body for a tricky angled finish. He was an island of composure, floating in his 39th goal of the season with a delicate chip into the corner.

Firmino’s goal came straight from Otamendi’s misplaced pass and, unfortunately for City, the defender’s faults have been a recurring theme against top-level opponents. Otamendi has chosen a bad week to produce his worst form but it is no coincidence that it has come in three games when opposition players have taken him on, knowing he can be vulnerable under pressure.

Liverpool, on the other hand, refused to buckle when the pressure was rising dangerously close to intolerable. Raheem Sterling, in particular, was a constant menace in the first half and prominently involved in the opening goal, squaring the decisive pass for Jesus after Virgil van Dijk’s clearance had been cut out. Van Dijk was knocked off balance in the process but his appeals for a free-kick were futile. Jesus turned in Sterling’s pass and Liverpool’s night had suddenly become a lot more perilous.

To put it into context, the first half here was even more one-sided than the corresponding 45 minutes in Liverpool’s favour last week. The difference, of course, was that Liverpool scored three times at Anfield in a 19-minute blitz whereas City, with home advantage, found it harder to turn their early superiority into the hard currency of goals. Bernardo Silva crashed one shot off the post and Sané’s disallowed goal was a wretched piece of officiating because the ball came to him from a Liverpool player, James Milner, rather than one of his team-mates. Enraged, Guardiola strode on to the pitch at half-time to remonstrate with the Spanish referee, Antonio Mateu Lahoz, but went too far with his eyeballing and matador-like hand movements. He was “upstairs”, in the Colin Bell stand, to watch Liverpool’s second-half turnaround and a dismal week for City take another turn for the worse.

]]>http://www.sportzkick.com/man-city-1-2-liverpool-man-city-lose-three-games-in-a-row-as-salah-and-co-see-the-blues-out-of-the-cl/feed/0As Roma 3-0 Barcelona: Roma dump Barcelona out of the CL. Incredible.http://www.sportzkick.com/as-roma-3-0-barcelona-roma-dump-barcelona-out-of-the-cl-incredible/
http://www.sportzkick.com/as-roma-3-0-barcelona-roma-dump-barcelona-out-of-the-cl-incredible/#respondTue, 10 Apr 2018 22:56:20 +0000http://www.sportzkick.com/?p=3852There cannot have been many better celebrations at this stadium. One glance off Kostas Manolas’s head was enough to spark scenes of utter bedlam. The Roma coaches and substitutes had all leapt off the bench to join in, it was barely possible to hear yourself think and Barcelona were stunned. They had been reduced to

]]>There cannot have been many better celebrations at this stadium. One glance off Kostas Manolas’s head was enough to spark scenes of utter bedlam. The Roma coaches and substitutes had all leapt off the bench to join in, it was barely possible to hear yourself think and Barcelona were stunned.

They had been reduced to such a state of desperation that Lionel Messi, the world’s greatest player, had been reduced to hacking at Aleksandar Kolarov. Luis Suárez’s main contribution was picking up a booking for timewasting and in the end Barcelona’s third consecutive exit in the quarter-finals came in the most incredible circumstances.

Roma had trailed 4-1 from the first leg, yet they were inspired by Edin Dzeko and Manolas’s header was enough to take them through on away goals and into their first European Cup semi-final since 1984.

“Mission Impossible,” was the headline in one Italian newspaper, yet the locals sought to disguise that air of pessimism by making the atmosphere as intimidating as possible and any hope Barcelona had of silencing the deafening Roman din went out of the window after six minutes.

Faith in Roma’s ability to stage an incredible turnaround was weighed down by the knowledge that only 11 sides had recovered from positions of similar peril in the competition’s 63-year history and even their most devoted followers could have been forgiven for thinking this was a foregone conclusion.

Roma had made life awkward for themselves with an eccentric effort at the Camp Nou, from the sloppiness of conceding two own-goals to the frustration of the error from Federico Fazio that allowed Barcelona to pull clear in the dying stages, and it was clear Eusebio Di Francesco’s side would require something special to pull this one out of the bag.

Yet there was no point in Roma feeling downbeat. Red smoke billowed out of the brilliantly boisterous Curva Sud, heightening the sense of occasion, and the home team’s task did not look quite as imposing once Dzeko had highlighted the frailties in Barcelona’s defence.

Alessandro Florenzi’s long pass was perfectly flighted and Dzeko, who had kept the tie alive with an artful piece of poaching in the first leg, used his strength to bustle Jordi Alba and Samuel Umtiti aside before rolling the ball past Marc-André ter Stegen.

Ernesto Valverde’s focus was defensive, which is why he favoured Sergi Roberto instead of the more offensive Paulinho but Barcelona were vulnerable against Roma’s high-octane approach in midfield, where Daniele De Rossi, Radja Nainggolan and Kevin Strootman dominated. Suárez’s difficulties were encapsulated by the moment when he failed to run clear of Roma’s back three after an excellent pass from Andrés Iniesta and although Messi almost silenced the crowd with a free-kick that whistled just too high, the forward’s team-mates struggled to involve him.

Alisson Becker could not have anticipated enjoying such a quiet 45 minutes in goal for Roma. The action was happening at the other end and the damage for Barcelona would have been more severe if Patrik Schick had shown greater precision with two free headers or Dzeko had snuck another effort past Ter Stegen.

The question at the start of the second half was whether Roma would begin to tire after such a frenzied effort. It felt as though the slightest dip in intensity would prove costly, especially when Barcelona were able to gather their thoughts and exert a measure of control for the first time all evening.

The clock was Roma’s enemy. Yet the mood changed when Strootman hounded Iniesta out of possession in the 55th minute, allowing Schick to run at Umtiti. The forward tumbled and appealed in vain for a penalty, but Roma had a second wind and moments later the outstanding Dzeko was outmuscling Gerard Piqué, turning and preparing to shoot from close range. Piqué’s foul was desperate and this time Clement Turpin, the French referee, awarded a penalty that De Rossi converted to the goalkeeper’s left.

It was a cathartic moment for the Roma captain, who sent the ball into the wrong net last week. Roma continued to tear forward, Nainggolan volleying at Ter Stegen, De Rossi heading inches wide, Stephan El Shaarawy, on as a substitute, almost turning in a volley at the far post. But they would not be denied. Eight minutes were remaining when Kolarov swung in a corner from the left, Manolas darted to the near post and his flicked header finally shattered Barcelona’s resistance.

]]>http://www.sportzkick.com/as-roma-3-0-barcelona-roma-dump-barcelona-out-of-the-cl-incredible/feed/0Premier League Winners and Losers: Matchday 33.http://www.sportzkick.com/premier-league-winners-and-losers-matchday-33/
http://www.sportzkick.com/premier-league-winners-and-losers-matchday-33/#respondMon, 09 Apr 2018 10:46:32 +0000http://www.sportzkick.com/?p=3847Winners Manchester United’s second half resurgence I‘m struggling to remember a game that had such disparity in performance in the Premier League. Manchester United simply allowed Manchester City to cut through them with swagger and impunity. It was a strange, shocking surrender, given the underlying plot the game carried. This game should have been done

I‘m struggling to remember a game that had such disparity in performance in the Premier League. Manchester United simply allowed Manchester City to cut through them with swagger and impunity. It was a strange, shocking surrender, given the underlying plot the game carried. This game should have been done with in the first half. They really could have been 5-0 up, with pre-game celebrations getting some justification. Instead it was Man United who turned it around and took ruthless advantage of Man City’s wasteful finishing and inexplicably won the game.

It was near unbelievable. It wasn’t just that Manchester United scored three, it was also note-worthy that Man City couldn’t score more after the break. It was not only in attack they took responsibility, they shored up their defence pretty good. Man City looked pretty average after the break. It was a stunning turnaround that deserves praise.

This game will go down as one of the truly premier league great games. I thoroughly enjoyed watching that one.

Paul Pogba

Manchester United did win the game but you could say the goals came from an unlikely source. Chasing shadows and failing to grab hold of anything in the game, it seemed that pre-game controversies about his purported sale to Man City got to him. It was truly remarkable that he was the one that provided the platform for United to win the game.

Playing in a more advanced position, he had license to probe and cause damage and he duly did. Pogba hasn’t always grabbed the headlights in big games but he was certainly the talk of the town in this unforgettable derby.

Burnley

An impressive run of four consecutive wins has seen Burnley consolidation their position in 7th, keeping their hopes of European football flicker still. A brilliant second season that was petering out awkwardly has been revived. Sean Dyche and his team should be commended for shaking off the negativity of their poor woeful form and resurrecting optimism in the stands.

Newcastle

Three wins on the bounce. They are safer each week with every three points accrued.

Tottenham

Followed up the stellar win over Chelsea with a nifty win at Stoke. Chelsea, with their draw at home to West Ham, will surely not catch up in the race for top four. Forth is Spurs’ to lose.

Arsenal

Four damaging losses accompanied by five straight wins. Arsenal have quietly been one of the better teams in the premier league. Their win over Southampton wasn’t straightforward. It was hard fought, but the Gooners were up for a fight.

Danny Welbeck

Back in the mix after spending too long out in the cold. He showed character to score despite his sorry miss. His goals gifted his team with the three points. He has now scored more premier league goals in a single season than he has ever scored in his Arsenal career. Don’t make an inquiry about the number. Don’t.

Bournemouth

Leading in a game against Bournemouth? Don’t count your eggs yet. They are the comeback kings of the premier league. They have won more points from losing position than any other team (18). Crystal Palace are the unfortunate latest victims of this stat.

Losers

Manchester City’s second half collapse

Man United were very good in the second half but it doesn’t explain why their grip on the game slipped to disastrous proportions. Man City were really good in the first half but were entirely powerless to stem a United renaissance in the second half. Was it hubris? Was it a lack of a proper game management. Whatever it was, they’d be fearful of their meeting with Liverpool in the second leg of their Champions League meeting.

At first it seemed they recovered admirably from their midweek humbling, keeping United at arm’s length and flexing their fine muscles. It didn’t last very long. Not even the introduction of Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero could salvage a point from a leading position. The second half undid all the optimism that was built up in the build up to Tuesday night mega clash.

Now this second half display will buoy fans and players of Liverpool. They did themselves no favours with such monumental collapse.

Raheem Sterling

Sterling has improved rapidly this season. From a very fast, rarely productive winger, to a main stay and a genuine match winner. Sterling has started to show signs of maturity both in his play and his end product. Pep Guardiola has improved the 23 year old so much so that he is one of the first players on the team sheet this season.

But he chose a wrong time to relapse into the Sterling that frustrates with piss poor accuracy in front of goal. It wasn’t just that he didn’t score despite being thread through on goal, he completely missed the goal. Those missed chances would eventually come back to haunt Man City. Had Sterling converted one of those chances, they probably could have wrapped up the game. A two goal lead wasn’t gonna do it, not in this sort of game.

Chelsea

The moment Javier Hernandez stepped onto the pitch, i knew it. I knew he was going to score. Chelsea played well but paid the price for some lacklustre finishing. Chelsea created some wonderful openings but were too relaxed. Chicharito, the only player to score more goals against Chelsea bar Rooney, finished with aplomb.

This is only a footnote in Chelsea’s terrible title defense. Antonio Conte will surely not remain at the helm, not with this sort of result and their league position. Arsenal are only three points behind Chelsea and could very well overtake the Champions. Chelsea are unforgiving of managers who oversee a poor title defense. Ask Mourinho, ask Carlo Ancellotti.

This puts an uncertainty over the future of some players and indeed the club as a whole. Do you see Hazard playing Europa League football next season? I think not. A seriosu bid for the Belgian and he’s off. The midfield need some reconstructive surgery. The attack with Morata as the spear head has underwhelmed.

Chelsea are a mess right now. I wouldn’t touch them with gloves on.

Stoke City

Four points off safety, is it too early to conclude that Stoke City are going down? Paul Lambert has overseen just one victory in ten games for Stoke City. The goals aren’t coming and the games are getting scantier. They have just five games to rescue themselves from this predicament. It doesn’t seem likely.

Everton

With Liverpool under-strengthened with the Champions league with Man City in mind, Everton had a great chance to end their wretched hoodoo over Liverpool. They have failed to win against their rivals since 2010. They just couldn’t take it. It was a very poor game with little goal mouth action but Everton have once again failed to get one over Liverpool as the gap between both clubs grows wider.

Southampton

Still in the relegation mix despite a spirited effort against Arsenal. At this stage, they need wins to left them out of danger. The return of Charlie Austin is a welcome boost. They need every Arsenal at their disposal.